


If You Feel the Same

by markesa



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Canonical Character Death, F/M, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, M/M, My First Fanfic, POV Steve Rogers, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Second Chances, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, The Avengers Are Good Bros, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 15:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20695823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markesa/pseuds/markesa
Summary: People say that everyone deserves a happy ending. Unfortunately, Steve's chance at a happy ending vanished the second Tony snapped his fingers on that battlefield.Or so Steve thought.





	If You Feel the Same

**Author's Note:**

> I've watched Avengers: Endgame way too many times and cried my eyes out almost every time. So I decided to try to write a post-Endgame story to soothe my soul. 
> 
> This is the longest thing I've ever written, and my first work here, so I welcome all feedback!
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy!

_He didn’t. This wasn’t real. This wasn’t real. No, no, no. This was not happening._ Steve could barely process the thoughts rushing into his head; his lungs constricted, and he stared in horror at the scene before him. Tony Stark, slumped in front of him, Pepper cradling him delicately in her arms.

Tony Stark was dead. Tony Stark. The man who he had once said wasn’t the one to make the sacrifice play. How wrong he was. How terribly wrong he was. Steve felt like he was suffocating, like he was 90 pounds and suffering from asthma again. Oh God. Oh God. Tony had a family, and now he was dead.

“Steve...we need to move Tony,” a gentle voice broke his panicked thoughts. Steve turned his blurring vision to the speaker. Sam stood with a hand on his shoulder, his eyes filled with compassion. _The body, he had to move Tony’s body. Tony’s body. Tony’s dead. Dead! Dead. Gone._ The same thoughts swirled in Steve’s head, making him dizzy.

He wordlessly took a step forward towards where Pepper was still holding Tony. “Pepper…” his voice cracked as he knelt next to her. She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with tears. She nodded, seeming to understand what Steve couldn’t find the strength to say. She stood, and Steve carefully picked Tony up.

Steve looked down at the man in his arms. The man who he never told how he felt. The man who would never smile at him again, would never look at him again, would never fight alongside again. His friend was gone, and with him, the chance to tell him how much Steve loved him.

Steve numbly carried Tony across the battlefield, following the others to a helicopter that had appeared among the wreckage. Nick Fury stood outside the helicopter, his hands clasped together, a solemn look on his face. Steve silently boarded the helicopter behind Pepper. He held Tony throughout the helicopter flight. Holding the lover he would never have.

**********

The funeral was a beautiful affair; something Tony would have really appreciated. Steve stood watching the wreath drift across the lake, the ache in his heart intensifying with every passing second.

Right before the funeral began, he had stood and watched Tony’s last video message to his family and closest friends. Seeing Tony alive and so optimistic about the time travel journey was heart wrenching. Tony’s last words, “I love you 3000,” had painfully reminded Steve about the wife and daughter Tony had left behind.

Tony had had so much to live for. Why was it him? Why couldn’t it have been Steve? Steve should have been the one to make the sacrifice. Damn it. Why Tony? _Because Tony Stark was a hero,_ the voice in his head whispered. A hero he was, and a hero the world owed everything to.

“Steve?” Pepper’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The widow looked up at Steve, her eyes searching his face. “Are you okay?”

“Pepper, I-I, he was, well, I just, I’ll miss him a lot. He was my friend; he was my family here. I owe so much to him. But I should be the one asking you that question,” Steve ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Pepper nodded in understanding. “We’ll be okay, Steve,” Pepper looked down at Morgan who was holding her hand next to her. “I promised him we would be okay, and we will be. Times will be hard, but everyone here, they are our family. We will be okay.” Pepper repeated, giving Steve a small smile. “He left a video for you, you know.”

Steve’s heart clenched painfully. A video? For him? Why? “Really? He...for me?” Steve stammered awkwardly.

Pepper nodded again. “Steve, I just want you to know, it’s okay. What he says...it’s okay. You deserve your happy ending too.”

“My happy ending? I’m sorry, I’m a little confused—” Steve was cut off by Pepper hugging him.

“I meant what I said, Steve. We will be okay. Happy will show you the video, and remember, I trust you, and he does as well. This is what he wanted you to have, treasure it well.” Pepper stepped aside to allow Happy to lead Steve back to the house.

Morgan looked up at Steve, her brown eyes fixed intently on him. Steve crouched down in front of her. “Your dad was the best man I have ever known, and he loved you very much,” Steve told her, trying to keep his voice from wobbling.

Morgan Stark smiled back. “Daddy said you are a very brave man,” Morgan replied, leaning into her mother. Steve let out a shaky breath. Tony thought that about him?

“Ready to go, Steve?” Happy asked Steve suddenly. Steve nodded, giving Morgan a final smile as he stood up to follow Happy into the house. What would Tony’s video say?

Happy led Steve to an empty bedroom in the house where a small box lay on top of a wood table. “Here it is,” Happy motioned to the box. Happy took a deep breath before adding, “Take care of yourself, Steve. We’re gonna miss you.” With that cryptic statement, Happy left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows together. What on Earth was Happy talking about? And what did Pepper mean? What on Earth did Tony have to say in the video? Steve walked to the small black box on the table. He lifted the lid slowly, unsure of what would happen. A holographic image of Tony suddenly appeared, similar to the projection he had seen prior to the funeral.

“If your name is Steve Rogers and you’re Captain America, then you’re the person this video is meant for. If you’re not then kindly fuck off because this is not your video to watch. Now that that’s all sorted out, I’ll get right down to the meat of things. Well, Spangles, if you’re watching this, I’m most likely dead. Which sucks because I kind of hoped I would come out of this time heist alive, but beggars can’t be choosers.” Holographic Tony crossed his arms, a small frown on his face. Steve lowered his eyes, sadness flooding him once more.

“Now, I left a few videos for people that I was closest to. That’s Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Morgan, and of course, you. Steve,” holographic Tony sighed before continuing. “I never got to tell you, and I don’t know if you feel the same, but I guess if I’m dead, there’s no better time to say it. I love you, Steve. I have since that battle in New York. I knew when your face was the first one I saw after I fell out of that wormhole that your face was the one I wanted to wake up next to every day. I was ridiculously in love with you even in Siberia, and God, Steve, I missed you so fucking much. You don’t know how many times I wanted to call you on that stupid flip phone. Just to hear your voice…” Tony trailed off, a sad expression crossing his features.

“I better get on with it, but because I love you, I wanted to give you one last gift. It’s pretty simple. You’ve got three choices. In the box, there’s two watch-type devices. One is blue and is programmed to a certain time and date in the forties. Put it on your wrist, press the button, and you’ll be sent back in time to Peggy Carter. You could live out your life with her, if you wanted. Get that dance you once told me about.” Tony nodded, smiling at Steve.

“The other device is red and is programmed to send you to a different dimension. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How could this be of any use? Well, this device will send you to a dimension that is nearly the same as ours. Except, well, you were never found. Meaning, uh, exactly that. The world lives without Captain America, so, if you were to drop in, nobody would ever know you weren’t the Steve from their dimension. Pretty nifty if you ask me.” Tony rubbed his hands together in the hologram and quirked his lips.

“So you could find the me of that world and since it’s not the me from this dimension… I know, it’s confusing,” Tony paused to laugh and shook his head. “But, yeah, since it’s not actually me, I won’t know you as anything beyond the fact that you’re Captain America. Yet, it gives you a chance to, well, if you wanted and if you felt the same way about me as I do you… it gives you a chance to be with me.” The engineer hesitated for a few seconds, his face conflicted.

“Then, naturally, the third option is you don’t choose either wristband and decide to live your life out here, in 2023. Which is perfectly fine, no hard feelings. This is getting lengthy, but I owed one last gift to my best teammate,” Tony’s voice cracked at the last word and he bowed his head. He raised it again a second later, pain evident in his eyes. “Good luck, Steve.”

The hologram ended, and all that was left was the black box on the table. Steve sat there for a few seconds, feeling a torrent of emotions rush through him: gratitude, sadness, pain, unsureness, confusion. Tony had given him the opportunity of a lifetime. Why was it so hard to go through with the decision he had already made?

_What about Bucky? What about Sam? The rest of the team? The world needs Captain America!_ Steve's brain screamed at him, making the whole process infinitely more complicated than it should have been. However, common sense dictated that at least saying goodbye to Bucky and Sam was necessary. With that final thought, Steve picked up the small box. He had some goodbyes to say.

Steve opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He quickly walked back outside to the grass where everyone still stood in small groups, most likely talking about Tony. He could have waited to say his own goodbyes. Hell, he could have waited ten years, and the devices would probably still have worked. Yet Steve felt a sort of urgency about the whole situation as if the sooner he used the wristband, the less a chance he would lose the opportunity. Irrational as that thought was, it didn’t stop Steve from asking Sam and Bucky to step aside and have a quick word with him.

His friends looked at him, their eyebrows knitted together with concern. “Steve, is something wrong? You look really flustered,” Sam exchanged a worried glance with Bucky.

“No, no! Nothing’s wrong. Quite the opposite actually,” Steve ran a hand through his hair, chuckling. Now his friends were looking even more confused. Just great. Bucky’s gaze traveled down to the box Steve was carrying, and a look of understanding dawned on his face.

“It has to do with what’s in the box, doesn’t it?” Bucky narrowed his eyes at Steve, who gave a jerky nod. “Well then, what are you waiting for? If that’s what you want, you know I support you. With you ‘till the end of the line, don’t you forget that” Bucky wrapped Steve in a tight embrace. “Take care, and go get him.” Bucky whispered in Steve’s ear before turning around and walking back to the group he had been speaking with.

Steve watched his best friend as he walked away, a strange mix of happiness and loss swirling within him. James Buchanan Barnes had always been smart; it wasn’t a surprise that he had figured it all out before Steve could open his mouth. Bucky was more than his best friend, he was his brother.

“Uh, Steve? Barnes may have gotten it immediately, but I’m kinda lost here, help a guy out?” Sam shrugged his shoulders, an apologetic crossing on his face.

“Buck’s always been that way, don’t worry,” Steve gave Sam a reassuring pat. “But what I have to tell you is a little more, actually.” Steve took a deep breath before continuing. “Tony left me a gift and it gives me a chance to—”

“Ohhhhh, is that what’s in the box? That makes more sense now!” Steve gave Sam a slightly annoyed look at his being interrupted.“Whoops, continue, man, I swear I won’t interrupt again.” Sam grinned.

“Okay, as I was saying, it gives me a chance to visit Tony in another dimension, but—”

“Wait, hold up. Another dimension?! Damn! Tony Stark could do that?” Sam shook his head, clearly impressed with the late genius’ invention.

“Sam!” Steve sighed, exasperated. “I’m trying to do something pretty important here!”

“Oh, right, sorry, continue,” Sam grinned sheepishly.

Steve raised an eyebrow at Sam before speaking again. “Anyway, yes, I will be permanently transported to a different dimension, where I will hopefully find Tony and, uh,” Steve blushed. “I guess, if everything works out, live the rest of my life with him. Which is why I need to have someone I trust and believe in to take care of things in my absence.”

At this point, Sam seemed to understand what Steve was hinting at. “Steve, there’s no way. You can’t, I mean—”

“I mean it, Sam. I know you have everything it takes and more. I want you to be Captain America. You more than deserve it,” Steve nodded. If there was anything he was 100% sure about, it was about giving the mantle of Captain America to Sam.

“But, what about Bucky? Why not him?”

“Buck is my best bud, but Sam, I think he knows as well that it’s you. You’re Captain America. Bucky needs some more time, and I think he’s comfortable with where he is now. Trust me,” Steve glanced over at Bucky before adding, “and you can rest assured Bucky will understand. As for the shield, it’s in pieces, as you know, from the battle. But, when you or whoever it is returns the infinity stones, a prior version of the shield can be retrieved, I bet. Or maybe T’Challa can help build you a new one from vibranium in Wakanda.”

Sam gave Steve a sad smile. “I’m really gonna miss you, Steve. I really will. Be safe out there,” and with that, Sam wrapped his arms around Steve in a big hug.

“Thank you, Sam,” Steve replied, feeling the now familiar mix of sadness and happiness rising in his chest as he watched Sam walk back to where Bucky stood. There was little more to do other than go back to the room Happy had led him to. What had started out as a terrible, morose day had quickly turned into a day that was full of possibilities, and most importantly, hope.

Steve made his way back to the cabin-type house, the box heavy under his arm. This was it. This was actually happening. He could see Tony Stark again. He had a chance to tell the man he loved how he felt. Granted, this wasn’t his Tony he would be meeting, but Tony was Tony, regardless of what dimension. And alternate dimensions be damned, if Tony had thought this was a possibility that could work, then Steve would believe in that possibility as well.

Steve quietly closed the bedroom door behind him, and placed the box back on the table where he first found it. Sucking in a deep breath, Steve opened the box and was slightly disappointed when the hologram did not appear. Apparently Tony had programmed the box to only play the message once. Steve picked up the red watch-type device. It was made of metal and had a small button on the side. There was a small piece of paper attached to the device. _Simply press the button on the right side, and you will be transported. But this is only a one-use, one-way trip,_ the paper read.

Steve held the watch for a few seconds in his hand, his heart thudding. Just one press of a button, and Tony would be alive again. What on Earth was he waiting for? Steve took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. _This is a one-way trip,_ Steve reminded himself. Well, all the more reason to make it count, and with that final thought, Steve pressed the button on the red device.

A blinding white light filled the room, and Steve shut his eyes tightly, clutching the small wristband in his hand. A loud ringing sound filled his ears, and Steve felt as if he was being pulled apart in every direction. He gritted his teeth together, wishing he could escape the searing pain. “AGGHHH!” Steve screamed as he felt a particularly harsh jolt of pain tear through him. It was too much, was it meant to be this painful? Steve felt like his brain was short-circuiting and his bones were melting, the pain was so extreme. The darkness that inevitably fell over him was just a small act of mercy, and Steve succumbed to unconsciousness with the loud ringing sound still echoing around him.

**********

Steve woke up with a pounding in his head and stiffness in his limbs. He groaned, reaching to rub his still closed eyes, but abruptly stopped when his arms refused to obey. What on Earth? Steve reluctantly cracked open his eyes, squinting against a bright light. Glancing down, he saw he still had his suit from the funeral on, and he was sitting on an uncomfortable wooden chair. His legs were bound together with a rope, and his hands were handcuffed together behind the chair. Well, at least that explained why he couldn’t lift his arms.

Raising his bleary eyes, Steve saw he was in a bedroom of some sort. He was pushed against a wall, opposite a closed door. An unslept-in bed was to his left, and nothing other than a gray wall was to his right. The lights in the room were on, and Steve once again wished they could be turned down somewhat. But, where the hell was he? Tony hadn’t sent him to another dimension just to be kidnapped, or whatever this was. Did he? “Tony?” Steve croaked out, his voice hoarse. Silence. “Tony? Anybo-dy?” Steve’s voice cracked on the last syllable, a reminder that he was dehydrated and exhausted. Steve strained his ears, trying to listen for a sound, any sound whatsoever.

“Tony, it’s Steve. Steve Rogers? Captain America?” Steve tried again, desperation creeping into his voice.

This time a familiar, although irritated voice answered him. “Sir is currently preoccupied. He will be with you momentarily, Mr. Rogers.”

“JARVIS! You’re here. Thank God. JARVIS, where am I?” he awkwardly babbled to the AI, relief flooding his system.

“I am under instructions to not speak to you unless the situation calls for immediate attention. Any questions can be directed to sir.”

“Good to know that Tony still likes his protocols,” Steve replied under his breath. So now all he had to do was wait, he supposed. Just as he began to shuffle around to get into a more comfortable position, the bedroom door swung open.

Tony Stark stepped into the room, a gauntlet on his right hand with a repulsor aimed at his chest held in front of him.

“You’ve got five seconds to begin explaining how and why the fuck you materialized into my workshop before I blow a hole through your chest,” Tony snarled, his normally warm brown eyes hardening at Steve. “And an explanation as to how you know my name. Start talking, buttercup.”

Steve stared, his mouth suddenly excruciatingly dry. The Tony that stood before him looked so much like his Tony, that it ached to see him alive and well again. “I-I-I, um, I,” Steve stammered.

“I haven’t got all day,” Tony glared impatiently at him, repulsor still glowing.

“Right, well, uh, I, well, actually, it’s you! You’re both how and why I’m, uh, here,” Steve grimaced at his poor explanation. “You actually...died in the dimension I’m from—”

“Hold up. Did you just say dimension?” Tony squinted at Steve, confusion and awe dawning across his face.

“Yes, I’m from another dimension. Only reason I know I am is because you’re standing alive in front of me,” Steve paused and then decided to continue once he realized Tony was not going to add anything. “Thanos, I don’t know if you know who that is, but anyway, he erased half of human life. To cut the long story short, you possessed all the infinity stones and snapped him and his army out of existence, thus saving us all. But, you...you didn’t make it. The power of the infinity stones was too much, and you died from your injuries.” Steve hung his head, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He wouldn’t cry, no, not now. Not now. Definitely not now.

There was silence before Tony spoke up again. “That still doesn’t explain why or how you’re here,” Tony shrugged. “But it sounds like you’ve gone through some tough shit.”

Steve let a raspy laugh escape his lips. “It sure has been hard. I was at your funeral this morning, and that’s when Pepper and Happy gave me this box that you—” Steve stopped to correct himself. “Sorry, you just look exactly like him. My Tony had left a box for me. He gave me a chance to either travel back to my time or go be with you in an alternate dimension. Which is how I ended up here. He said Captain America was never found in the ice here, so I thought it was worth a shot.”

“You know you’re not supposed to do interdimensional travel without a special suit on, right? It must have been pretty damn painful without it,” Tony finally lowered the repulsor and cocked his head at Steve.

“I guess my Tony had conveniently left that bit out,” Steve weakly replied.

“Were you the only one he left a box for?”

“No, he left Pepper, his wife, and Morgan, his daughter one. As well as Colonel James Rhodes and Happy Hogan,” Steve answered, his shoulders beginning to ache with the strain of having his hands handcuffed behind him.

“And you.”

“Yes, and me.”

“Did he work with a team? Did you have the Avengers?”

Steve saw where this was heading, but still answered truthfully. “Yes, he had the main Avengers. That’s Bruce, Nat, Thor, Clint, me. Well, it was, but Nat, sh-she died getting one of the infinity stones. But we also had others like Scott, T’Challa, Wanda. There were many.”

“So why did he leave just one member of his team the gift of interdimensional travel?” The engineer raised his eyebrow, his lips pursing.

Steve took a deep breath and let it out shakily. There was no point in trying to lie. Tony had given him this gift so that he would finally have a chance to voice what he never could. He couldn’t afford to lose Tony again without telling him how he felt, even if it wasn’t technically _his_ Tony.

Steve cleared his throat before continuing. “He said he loved me, and he wanted to give me a chance to love him back,” and the tears that had been threatening to fall finally streamed down his face. “And I-I took that chance because I never got t-to tell him that I loved him too, and I sc-screwed everything up. He di-didn’t have to die!” Steve brokenly finished, his throat constricting as he wept. Silence followed his words, but Steve didn’t pay attention.

He sat weeping for his Tony. Maybe this was all a mistake. Oh God. He was going to lose this Tony now too, probably. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. This other Tony didn’t love him, didn’t even know him, and Steve had naively thought he could just step in and find his happy ending. Damn him! Damn him and his naivety! But all that came out were more broken sobs. A hand hesitantly began patting his right shoulder, and Steve leaned into the touch gratefully.

“I’m really bad at this sort of thing, but hey, even I can tell it wasn’t your fault. People die; it happens, and I know, it fucking sucks. And I definitely don’t blame you for using his gift, if he left it for you, then he wanted you to use it.” Steve lifted his blurry vision to the direction of the inventor.

“I’m sorry I was so rough with you, I didn’t know who you were at first,” Tony lifted one side of his lips in a small smile. “But now as I look at you, I realize I was pretty blind not to recognize Captain America. You look pretty much the same, and when you’re ready, I’d love to hear what you meant about being found in ice.”

“You’re not mad with me?” Steve pathetically mumbled, as tears still dripped down his face.

“Mad? Hell no! Intrigued with the idea that Captain America is in love with me? Hell yeah,” Tony smirked. “But also kind of spooked that you just popped in out of nowhere, to be honest. But I should probably get you outta these handcuffs.” Tony ducked his head as if embarrassed and took his hand off Steve’s shoulder.

Steve mourned the loss of Tony’s hand but gratefully let Tony undo his bonds. With a click, Steve’s handcuffs were taken off last, and Steve began to rub his sore wrists. He paused, wondering how to word his next question. “So, how exactly did you find me? Last thing I remember is passing out from pain.”

Tony grinned, putting his gauntlet, rope and handcuffs on the bed next to them. “Funny story, actually,” Tony rubbed his hands together, “I was in my workshop working on some updates to the Iron Man suit when a very loud ringing sound began. I thought aliens were attacking or some crazy thing, so I was starting to put on the Iron Man suit when you suddenly materialized in front of me. I was about to blast you with my repulsors, but you actually fell on me. I didn’t realize you were unconscious, so I freaked out, thinking you were attacking me. Took a while to figure it out, but I may have accidentally punched you a few times, sorry.”

Tony held up his hands in a “what can you do?” gesture, stepping back from Steve. “But you heal pretty fast, probably super soldier serum-related, so I don’t see no bruises.”

Steve nodded, silently noting that this Tony seemed to also know about Project Rebirth and what it entailed for him.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about just appearing out of seemingly nowhere. But don’t worry about punching me, I probably would have done the exact same thing.” Steve gave the engineer a nod of reassurance, because, had he been in Tony’s spot, he probably would have reacted more violently than Tony had.

Tony leaned back, tapping his foot thoughtfully. “So, I, surprisingly enough, don’t have anything to work on, besides updating the suit, so how about we eat and you can tell me how you just so happen to be still alive after all these years,” Tony sucked in a breath, crossing his arms. “And, if you have any questions about this dimension, I guess I can answer those.”

Steve grinned. “That sounds great, thank you, Tony.”

“Well, since I’m the only person here right now, I guess it’s my job to stick with you,” Tony replied, turning around and walking towards the door. Steve stiffly rose from the chair and followed the shorter man out the door.

They walked towards an elevator, and Steve realized that this Tony still had the Avengers tower rather than the compound.

“Tony, what year is this?” Steve looked over at his companion, who looked almost exactly the way his Tony did, except maybe a bit younger.

“It’s 2023, Steve. Is it a different year where you’re from?”

“No, but you’ve never encountered Thanos? Or what about Bucky?” Steve couldn’t help pestering Tony with questions. Just how different was this dimension?

Tony, though, smirked and patted Steve. “Ah ah ah, hot stuff. I thought it was agreed that I would ask the questions first.” Blushing, Steve apologized, much to Tony’s amusement. “No big deal, Cap, I’m joking. But seriously, I could kill for a sandwich and some coffee right about now.”

The billionaire stepped out of the elevator, leading Steve to a familiar kitchen. “You could start telling me your ice story while I prepare everything,” Tony suggested while opening the fridge to rummage for something.

“Right. Well, I suppose you know that I went down in the ice in ‘45?” Tony nodded to this. “Okay, so I guess I can’t provide much about that besides that I thought I was dead for sure. Instead, I woke up in a SHIELD facility nearly 70 years into the future; it was 2011 then. Apparently the combination of the ice and the serum had kept me alive for all those years until SHIELD found me. They had me join the Avengers, which is how I met you, and it’s just history from then on.”

“Not as interesting of a story as I thought it would be, capsicle. Oh well, I still get to boast that Captain America materialized in my tower,” he suddenly gasped. “Oh shit, I didn’t think about that! Do we just say you’re from another dimension or that you woke up in the ice or you’re a clone, or, wait, that last one didn’t even make much sense but I guess—”

Steve flinched at the familiar nickname but calmly interrupted the man’s rambling. “Tony, it’s fine. Honestly, I don’t mind saying I’m from a different dimension. It’s best to just tell the truth. I’m just grateful you’re here and that you trust me, I know this isn’t an easy situation to accept,” Steve warmly smiled at the man standing across from him.

While he had missed the genius’ banter, he was tired and couldn’t help but remember this wasn’t quite his Tony, as close as he was. The thought made him sad in a way he couldn’t really describe. It was almost like seeing Bucky but realizing while the man looked like his best friend, he was forever changed in ways he could never begin to understand.

“Okay, yeah, that works. Good thinking. Well, here’s a nice turkey sandwich, since I’m pretty sure Clint ate all the ham,” Tony shrugged apologetically, plopping into the seat next to Steve. “So, now I’m your man. Ask all the questions you want, Steve-o.”

Tony bit into his sandwich and looked expectantly up at Steve, chewing quickly. “Well, I guess what I asked you in the elevator? Thanos? Bucky?”

“Going straight for it, okay. Well, Carol, or Captain Marvel took care of Thanos for us. She got to him before he even got half the infinity stones, so no worries there. Bucky Barnes was the Winter Soldier, and we had to do some heavy recovery services with him. Luckily he didn’t cause too much damage,” Tony swallowed, fixing his gaze on the marble kitchen counter. “Well, damage to us physically. He did kill my parents, and that hurt like a bitch to find out, but it’s been sorted out. He’s doing some missions for SHIELD with Falcon, or Sam.”

Steve breathed a sigh of relief. His friend was safe, and Thanos was dead. Things could not be any better. “So where is everyone then?”

Tony gave him a sardonic smile. “That’s where the good news ends, Cap. I’m being targeted by an old enemy of mine, and SHIELD and the team has put me on lockdown until they can find and eliminate the threat. Which means they don’t want me flying around as Iron Man.”

Steve gawked, the sandwich suddenly feeling like lead in his stomach. This Tony was in danger of dying too? “Tony! Why didn’t you tell me? Why are you all alone here? That’s not safe, what if whoever it is comes after you here?”

Tony laughed, waving his hand nonchalantly. “Relax, Steve. Whoever it is doesn’t know I’m here. The press, and the rest of the world, thinks I’m in Malibu with Pepper. Aldrich Killian will not figure out for at least another day that I’m hiding out here. Besides, I’m almost certain SHIELD is overanalyzing this heavily. Killian is just a business guy who doesn’t like competition.”

Something about the name was very familiar to Steve. Killian. Killian. Where had he heard that name?

“Guy also claims to have Maya Hansen, some chick I used to know, building some super soldier type serum for him. Said he’s gonna get back at me for never giving him a chance to pitch his ideas, but eh, just another unsatisfied former acquaintance,” Tony gulped down some coffee, his sandwich nearly finished.

That was when it clicked. “Extremis! That’s it!” Steve slapped his hand down on the table, startling Tony.

“How’d you know?” Tony gave him an odd look, his eyebrows furrowing together. “Did this happen in your dimension too?”

“Yes, but a long time ago, like 2012 or something. My Tony was thought to have been killed by this freak. Turned out he was in hiding in Tennessee or somewhere, and I don’t know much, but Pepper was temporarily infected with the Extremis virus. It was a concerning business,” Steve looked over at Tony. “I really think you should take this threat more seriously, it nearly cost you your life last time.”

Tony opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by the loud sound of voices. Steve turned his head to see the rest of the Avengers walk into the kitchen area. His fatigue must have worsened if he failed to hear a quinjet arrive.

“Tony, buddy! Who’s this?” Clint Barton slapped Tony’s back, a twinkle in his eyes. Tony rolled his eyes, turning towards the archer.

“Anthony, my good friend, you can worry no more!” Thor interjected, his voice booming around the kitchen.

At this statement, Tony’s eyes lit up. “You got him?”

Natasha Romanov’s eyes flashed as she presented two small vials filled with orange liquid. “We got them,” she corrected. “As well as two vials of Extremis for you and Bruce to analyze later.”

“Ah, my favorite assassin!” Tony grinned a Cheshire-cat grin as he reached for the vials. “Tell me the details, come on.”

“We will, once you explain who this is,” Bruce gestured at Steve while exchanging glances with Natasha. Steve looked down at the floor, suddenly self conscious of the fact that the team that he knew so well had absolutely _no idea_ who he was.

Tony, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem introducing Steve. “Well you guys know the story of Captain America, right?” The other Avengers slowly nodded their heads. “Well, here he is!” Tony clapped his hands, as if concluding his explanation.

“Stark, that tells us practically nothing. How did he get here and where has he been?” Natasha crossed her arms, a defensive look crossing her features.

“How does he know you?” Clint scrunched his face up. “How does Captain America know Tony Stark of all people? Weren’t you born in like 1901 or something?” Clint shook his head in confusion.

“1918, actually. You’re a few years, off, Barton,” Steve chuckled.

“Holy shit! Captain America knows my name!” Clint’s jaw dropped.

“More importantly, _how_ does he know your name?” Bruce pursed his mouth, clearly trying to come up with multiple theories as to how Steve came to be in their kitchen.

“We have a man of another time with us! Welcome, good Captain!” Thor enthusiastically hugged Steve, much to the chagrin of the rest of the team.

“Thor, we don’t even know that he is who he says he is!” Natasha snapped, her eyes narrowing at Steve and Tony.

“Okay, so my explanation was a little rushed,” Tony began.

“Or more like nonexistent,” Clint muttered, but quickly closed his mouth when Tony shot him a glare.

“Anyway, Steve happens to be from a different dimension. He traveled here thanks to a gift his Tony Stark left him,” Tony stated, while looking at each Avenger. “His world is essentially the same as ours, except he was frozen in ice for 70 years in his world before being found, unlike here, where Captain America is still frozen.”

“Why are you the only one here from your dimension?” Clint piped up, eyeing Steve curiously.

Before Steve could say anything, Tony came to his rescue.

“His Tony isn’t alive anymore. They didn’t have Carol stop Thanos in his dimension. And his Tony decided it would be best if he came here. That’s all there is to it,” Tony narrowed his eyes before continuing. “And we’re keeping him. I don’t care what any of you say. He’s an Avenger there, so he’ll be one here too.”

The team seemed to accept this as they silently absorbed the news. “We could do some tests to confirm he’s Steve Rogers since he has the serum and everything…” Bruce spoke up, looking at Steve.

“Trust me, buddy, he’s the real deal. I saw the serum in action first-hand,” Tony assured Bruce. “No worries there. Now he knows all of you, so we can skip introductions and get to the meat of things. Tell me what happened with Killian, the suspense is killing me.”

Tony dramatically tossed back his head, feigning extreme exasperation.

“Always a drama queen, Stark,” Natasha rolled her eyes, calmly sitting in a stool next to Tony. “Killian was in the basement in a meeting with the rest of his agents. We had the element of surprise against them.”

“The antidote worked?” Tony’s eyes gleamed in anticipation.

Bruce grinned before replying, “It definitely did, the virus was overpowered within seconds. It was easy to detain them, Maya Hansen included, after that.”

Tony turned to Steve with a satisfied shrug. “Told you, it was no big deal. Sucks that your Tony was fucked over so hard with this situation.” Steve opened his mouth to respond to Tony, but no words came. There was nothing to deny, the threat was indeed taken care of, and this Tony hadn’t been wrong about the difference in the two dimensions regarding the virus.

“So, you got the Captain America uniform on under that suit?” Clint asked, changing the topic once again.

Steve blushed, lowering his eyes. “No, I left it back, uh, in my world.”

Probably would have been useful to take the uniform with him since it wouldn’t fit Sam, but Steve had been in too much of a hurry to think of such things.

“That’s not a problem! I’m sure I can whip up some uniform for you. And a shield,” Tony excitedly interjected. “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist at your service, but I guess only two of those titles actually apply to the task.”

“With the way you’re doting over him, I’m pretty sure three of those titles apply,” Clint smirked, raising an eyebrow.Steve felt his cheeks heat up once more as he realized what Clint was implying.

“Well, you’re not wrong, Barton,” Tony impishly grinned.

“Shut up, Stark. I don’t want to hear this right now.” Natasha rolled her eyes, pushing past them to head to the elevator.

“Yeah, neither do I. The sexual tension in here is more intense than between Jack and Rose.” Clint joined Natasha in the elevator. “And that’s saying something.”

“Titanic, right?” Steve piped up, hoping that he got the reference correctly. Any sense of normalcy he could achieve, even if it was checking his pop culture knowledge, was welcome.

Tony simply laughed at him, turning to the other two Avengers in the room. “So, Steve and I are gonna go work on making him a Captain America suit. Brucie-bear, if you wanna make some of that good curry of yours for dinner, I would love you forever.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not what your new friend wants to hear, but okay, Tony. Have fun designing the uniform,” Bruce shook his head good-naturedly.

Tony smirked, slinging an arm around Steve. “Oh you know I will, Bruce.” Tony laughed again.

“I shall go cool off in that grand pool you built recently, Anthony. It was a great pleasure to meet you, Steven.” Thor gave Steve another hearty hug.

After Thor left to go down to the pool, Tony steered Steve to the elevator. “Here, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this, and I’m interested to see what I can design for you now that you’re on the team, and oh Fury’s gonna be so pissed he wasn’t told first, but whatever Mr. One-Eye can suck my—”

“Tony!” Steve admonished, chuckling at how much this Tony reminded him of his Tony. Maybe everything would be okay. It was almost like he was back home, before everything went upside down. But the ache of missing his own Tony still remained. Maybe it was one of those pains that would always stay in the corner of his heart.

“Why are you taking me in so easily? I mean, I’m essentially a stranger to you. The team, well, your team, they—it’s like I’m an old friend, not some person from another dimension,” Steve said, following Tony as they arrived in the workshop.

Steve sucked in a breath at the sight. It was almost an exact replica of his Tony’s workshop. A hand on his arm brought him out of his nostalgic ache.

“Steve, it’s true I don’t know you, but I’m still Tony. Not your Tony, but a Tony, nonetheless.” Tony looked up at Steve, the care in his eyes evident. “I suspect that every Tony across all the dimensions shares a connection, an inherent knowledge of who to trust and care for, no matter how different their dimensions are. And I trust you Steve, I just know it’s the right thing to do, and I know I’ll never replace your Tony, but goddamn, I’ve had a crush on you...well, here I go admitting everything.”

“I’ve idolized Captain America since I was a little kid, and seeing you here, telling me that you loved me, and that a version of me loved you, it’s a dream come true for me. Selfish as that sounds, I honestly do want to have a chance to make you happy. Steve, I want to give you the life I know your Tony wanted you to have, and I promise you, me and the team will treat you like one of our own.”

“Tony…” Steve blinked, a sudden feeling of warmth spreading through him. “I can’t thank you enough, truly.”

Tony waved a hand nonchalantly, and the heartfelt moment was quickly forgotten as holographic screens popped up around Tony.

“Okay, that was deeper than I thought it would be. Now, Cap, what were you envisioning for your uniform?”

“Well, I’m willing to bet you have more of an understanding of what I actually need, so I think I’ll just let you take the reins,” Steve grinned at the engineer.

“Now that’s what I like to hear! Here less than an hour and you already know how to stroke an engineer’s ego. Where have you been all my life? I swear to God, this suit is gonna be a masterpiece that rivals anything Thor can bring from Asgard. And that includes his Asgardian mead. But seriously, that shit has a kick to it, and oh, you should totally try it, and—wait, oh, hmm, would leather be a good thing to put? Oh, you’d look dashing in leather. Which reminds me—” Tony babbled on, already engrossed in the task he had been assigned.

Steve sat down on the worn gray couch he had seen when he had entered the workshop. He leaned back into the soft cushions as he watched Tony flit around his workspace. This was his second chance, and he was going to do everything in his power to make it count.

**********

The rest of the week passed by with the fluster that Steve expected. Fury had exploded with anger at not being told immediately that Steve was alive. The team had decided to stick with the truth—that Steve was from a different dimension. This piece of news had not gone down well with Fury at all.

After an hour of listening to caustic words being thrown between Fury and Tony, Agent Maria Hill had calmly intervened to suggest that Steve stay for now, at least until and if the Captain America of their world was ever found.

Fury had furiously fought against this, but once presented with the facts that Steve could be a valuable asset to the Avengers, he had relented and opted to call off all future expeditions that dealt with looking for the still frozen Captain America of their world. This, according to his reasoning, would lower the chances of the public having to deal with there being two Captain Americas.

The official cover story SHIELD had decided to equip him with was much the same as the one Steve had back in his world—he was frozen, and now, thanks to explorers, he was found.

As flimsy as the cover story may have sounded, the press conferences went flawlessly and the public bought the story. After all, stranger things had happened besides an old war hero being found in ice.

The downside to all this was that Steve had barely had a minute of time alone with Tony. Tony had spent about a day making his suit, and that had been the last time Steve had been in one room alone with Tony. Steve knew Tony was a busy man, and his sudden appearance hadn’t done much besides add to Tony’s workload, but Steve wished that things would slow down.

Steve currently stood in front of his bed, staring at the Captain America suit laid out before him. The suit was remarkably similar to the one he had worn when they fought Ultron, and when Tony had presented it to him, Steve had fought off the urge to cry, opting instead to embrace the man in a hearty thank-you-hug.

The Avengers alarm had gone off in the tower, indicating that a threat of some kind was occurring outside. Tony, who was the leader of the team in this world, had had JARVIS inform everyone that they had five minutes to suit up before they departed.

Steve, who had been given the all-clear to join in on missions, was to be a part of this mission. Sighing, Steve slipped on the uniform, zipping it up quickly. He yanked on his boots and adjusted his cowl before joining the others in the Avengers common area (which was really just the kitchen).

Tony stood with the rest of the team. Which meant that he’d been slower in suiting up than the rest of them. Steve opened his mouth to voice an apology but he was cut off by Tony.

“Cap! There you are! Okay, so, before we get into the specifics of the mission, I thought I’d quickly give you something you might need.” Steve furrowed his brows in confusion as the man picked up a black circular case off the floor near his feet, holding it out to Steve.

“Is this..?” Steve raised his eyes to Tony, his heart pounding. Shrugging the case of the object revealed it to be exactly what Steve thought it would be. His shield gleamed at him, shiny and new, and his heart ached for a second as he remembered how Tony had given it to him that day at the compound, before everything went to hell.

“How—I, what?” Steve stumbled over his words. There was no way the shield could be in his hands now. It was supposed to be encased in ice, somewhere God knew where.

“Cat got your tongue?” Tony laughed, his eyes crinkling in that way that always had Steve’s stomach flip. “If I had known this would be all it took to get you speechless, I—”

“Pfff, I’m done with this. I’m like 98% sure there’s aliens or some crazy ass shit going on outside and you two are just gazing into each other’s eyes like that will magically instigate world peace.” Clint rolled his eyes, adjusting his grip on his bow.

“Stark pulled some strings to get vibranium from Wakanda,” Natasha spoke up, quirking her lips at Steve. “Captain America is known for his shield, so it only made sense.”

“Wow, thank you, seriously,” Steve warmly smiled at Tony, holding his shield close to him. “I promise I won’t lose it.” Steve added, remembering how Tony would frequently chastise him about dropping or losing his shield during a battle.

“Better not. T’Challa would be pissed if I told him you lost a disk made of the most precious metal on Earth. But,” Tony cleared his throat, as if suddenly recalling the reason they were all gathered in the kitchen in the first place. “We’ve got a nasty sorceress outside who seems bent on mind controlling people to hallucinate their biggest regrets. People are going wild out there, reenacting their hallucinations, and the only way we can stop her is by apparently getting the necklace she’s wearing. Some magic flower is embedded in there, and that gives her her powers.”

“A magic flower?” Thor questioned, tilting his head. “We have many on Asgard with the capabilities of taking over Midgardians’ minds. This flower would be best returned to Asgard.”

“Okay, solid. So, we get the flower, keep people from harming each other, and that’s that,” Tony snapped his fingers together suddenly. “Oh, and she can disintegrate things with her eyes, but she seems to only be doing that to buildings and people who attempt to control the chaos she’s causing.”

“What? Seriously? That’s fucking crazy!” Clint whooped, pumping his fist in the air. “This mission just got a hell of a lot more interesting.”

“Wait, she’s disintegrating _people_?” Bruce stared at Tony in disbelief. “That’s horrifying.”

“Well, not disintegrating people, but things near them, and if we don’t get out there soon, she may start actually targeting people,” The Iron Man helmet snapped up, covering Tony’s face. “And, as usual, keep everyone updated through the comms.”

Steve nodded, adjusting the cowl once more. This world’s Tony seemed very efficient, and he was thankful that Tony hadn’t tried to offer him the role of team leader. He wasn’t ready for that, at least not yet.

Tony walked over to the elevator, and Steve followed along with the rest of the team. Since the threat was quite close to the tower, it made sense to calmly exit the building through the conventional way. The more damage and chaos they could prevent, the better.

The elevator ride was short, and Steve found himself outside in less than a minute.

“Clint, I’ll give you a lift to that rooftop there. Try to target the sorceress’ arms to stop her magic. Black Widow, Cap, stick to the ground and try to stop people from harming each other or themselves. Thor, stick with me so that you can contain the flower once we get it. And Bruce,” Tony’s helmeted head turned towards the man, who still remained in his civilian clothes. “Tend to any medical urgencies, and I’ll let you know if we need a code green.”

“Sounds good, Tony” Bruce nodded, rolling up his sleeves and shifting his hold on the small medical bag he was carrying.

“AIEEE!” a scream cut through the air, and Steve jerked around to see a woman slam her hand into the concrete wall of the tower. “GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF!” she screamed, her hand making a sick crunch as she repeatedly pummeled the wall.

Steve rushed to her, yanking her away from the wall. She squirmed violently in his arms as he tried to wake her out of her hallucination. “Bruce! What do I do? She won’t wake!” Steve struggled to hold onto the woman.

Bruce’s voice came over the comms a split second later, and a quick glance up let Steve know that the rest of the team had already disbursed to try to defuse the situation. “You have to render the person unconscious, the magic appears to be too strong for any other course of action.”

“Will it work?” Steve asked as the woman began convulsing in his arms.

“The ones around me appear to go down and cease their hallucinations,” Bruce answered, his voice laced with frustration.

Steve nodded, even though he knew Bruce couldn’t see him. There would be no easy way to do this, but this was better than letting the woman suffer through whatever it was she was seeing.

“Any particular method you got recommended?” Natasha’s voice crackled over the comms.

“I would suggest a blood choke as the best method. Careful to not let their head sag forward afterwards though,” Bruce responded.

Right. The blood choke. SHIELD had trained the team a few years back in simple self-defense, and this had been one of the maneuvers they had been taught. Gritting his teeth, Steve wrapped his arms carefully around the woman and tightened his hold. He counted to ten seconds as he held onto the still squirming woman. He felt her body slump at ten, and Steve gently released her, laying her on the ground next to the tower.

That was only the beginning. He turned to see bursts of yellow rays hitting random people in the chest. The rays appeared to be causing the hallucinations, and Steve ran over to a man who was trying to stab himself with a shard of glass.

“The people appear to be trying to hurt themselves!” Steve called out over the comms. “No kidding. People are going fucking nuts trying to get out of their hallucinations. I’ve begun using my sleeper darts,” Clint responded.

“Good idea,” Tony replied, his voice slightly out of breath. “Thor and I aren’t having much luck up here. Every time we get close, she almost gets one of us with one of those yellow rays. We’re gonna need a distraction of some sort.”

“What kind of distraction?” Natasha asked, her voice slightly muffled by something.

“I don’t know. Something worth her attention!” Tony answered, sounding exasperated.

“Is this a code green?” Bruce spoke up. Steve grimaced. Bruce in this world had not yet combined the Hulk and himself, so there was no telling what damage the Hulk could do.

“Maybe not, I’ve got an idea,” Steve cut in. “Tony can you get me on a rooftop near her? If she tries to target me, that may give you enough time to grab the flower.”

“Steve,” Tony started, his tone worried.

“No! This may be the only way, and we can’t let these people suffer much longer!” Steve yelled, ducking as a man began throwing rocks from a nearby truck wildly around.

“Fine, where are you?”

“Still next to the tower entrance,” Steve ground out as he wrapped the man in his arms.

Tony arrived just as he set down the unconscious man. “This better work, and you better be safe because I don’t know what to do if you leave just as soon as you got here.” Tony sternly warned him, wrapping an armored arm around his waist.

Steve nodded and patted Tony’s arm, indicating that he was ready to be lifted. “I hope so too,” Steve breaths, feeling the ground vanish beneath his feet as Tony flew him to a rooftop.

The sorceress was now clearly in view, her red dress billowing around her as she shot yellow rays from her hands. Her eyes glowed red as she aimed at the ground.

“Where’s Thor?” Steve turned to Tony, worried.

“That’s who she’s been busy trying to disintegrate,” Tony informed him, letting his arm drop from around his waist. “Now what’s the plan, Cap?”

“This,” Steve replied, and tossed his shield at the sorceress.

“Steve! What the FUCK?” Tony screeched as the shield violently hit the sorceress’ left arm. She paused, trying to figure out where the shield came from.

“Get the flower!” Steve cried back, rolling away as the sorceress abruptly shot a ray at him, her attention now focused on him.

“Steven Rogers, I know of your dimension traveling,” the sorceress boomed, her arms waving in the air as she blasted another ray towards him. “And I feel you should see what your Anthony Stark really thought of you.”

Steve tensed at hearing her mention his secret. How did she know this? He presses the side of his glove, summoning his shield back to him. The shield slams back onto his arm a second later and he stands, facing the sorceress.

She sent another ray hurtling his way, and he deflected it with the shield. Tony and Thor circled around her, trying to find an opportunity to get the flower.

“Damn it,” Steve cursed, he had to speed this up before she lost interest in him.

“Oh yeah?” Steve roared back, raising his shield once again. “You don’t even know him!”

“Oh, but I do, Captain. And I feel you should share my knowledge,” she laughed, yellow magic swirling around her arms as she directed another beam of magic at him.

Steve held the shield up, protecting himself once more from being hit.

“Cap! What’s the rest of your plan? You won’t distract her forever!” Tony’s voice shouted in his ear.

“Get ready, Iron Man,” Steve replied, as he swung his arm back. “Now!” Steve yelled as he flung the shield full force at the sorceress. The shield slammed into her chest, temporarily stunning her, but not before she released another beam at Steve, though this beam was larger and brighter than the previous ones.

The magic struck Steve in the chest at the same time Tony ripped the necklace off her, but all Steve could process was the sudden throbbing pain in his chest and the way black spots were suddenly appearing before his eyes. He slumped to the ground when the chest pain spiked, the air leaving his lungs with the force of his fall.

“Sorceress contained! Sorceress contained!” Tony called over the comms, and Steve tried to respond, but the pain in his chest was paralyzing him. He felt like he can’t breath, and this is just like when he was small and he had asthma attacks. He struggled to get air into his lungs, but the tightness in his chest only worsened.

The rest of the team was saying things, but Steve couldn’t hear much over the loud buzzing sound settling in his ears. And the pain, oh the pain in his chest. God, was he dying? Just as soon as he had his second chance?

Arms embraced him suddenly, and Steve tried to open his eyes to see who it is, but his vision was increasingly dark. The stranger was talking, but Steve could barely distinguish it from the incessant buzzing noise. The last thing he heard before the darkness consumed him was someone yelling for medical.

**********

Tony gripped the necklace in his right hand, flying around the sorceress who is now in Thor’s tight grip. “Thor, take her to SHIELD, and make sure she’s contained before you return the flower, okay?” Tony placed the necklace over Thor’s head.

“Yes, Anthony. I will do that,” Thor nodded solemnly, holding the now unconscious sorceress. He must have knocked her out as soon as Tony snatched the necklace off her, which was probably for the better.

“Nat? Clint? Bruce? How’s the situation down there?” Tony asked, scanning the area beneath him. People appeared to be snapping out of their hallucinations, but he can’t be too sure.

“It seems that people are waking up, but those hit more recently by the rays are taking longer to snap out of it. We’re just monitoring to make sure everyone is waking up safely. There’s not many still in the haze, though,” Natasha calmly reported.

“Good, keep me updated. Cap, how are things from your end?”

Silence.

“Steve. Report.” Tony commanded, his heart clenching in worry.

Silence once more.

“Steve!” Tony yelled, but it wasn’t necessary because he saw him now, lying on his side still on that damned roof. Goddammit.

“Steve!” Tony shouted again, slamming hard onto the roof, taking Steve into his arms. Fuck, he had only known Steve for a week, but Tony already couldn’t bear losing him. Not when there was so much promise for their future. No, he was not going to lose Steve. Not now, not ever.

“Fuck, Steve, just hold on for a few minutes, okay? Yeah, okay. This should wear off soon, anyway, I’m sure, sure. Medical! We need medical!” Tony screamed into his comms.

Steve lay unresponsive in his arms, and Tony’s heart hammered in his chest.

Fuck. Fuck. _Fuck_.

“He should be awake by now if he was hit by a ray,” Bruce’s uncertain voice came over the comms, and Tony gritted his teeth.

“Bruce, he’s not, he’s not moving, why isn’t he moving?”

“Stay where you are, SHIELD medical is on its way,” Bruce was saying, but Tony couldn’t hear the rest because at that moment, Steve’s nose began to gush dark red blood. A few seconds passed, and then the screams started.

**********

When Steve opened his eyes again, Tony was standing before him. His Tony. The burns from using the gauntlet were present on his face, and his right arm was similarly charred, but he was still smiling.

“Steve, darling, I had hopes we would meet again,” Tony grinned at Steve, reaching towards him with his left arm.

“T-Tony?” Steve stuttered, his eyes widening. “What, I-I, how?” Steve gawked at Tony, his heart soaring at seeing Tony again, alive and well. And not just any Tony. _His_ Tony. The one he had failed to save.

“Oh, isn’t that a brilliant question. You don’t remember how you got here?” Steve shook his head at this and Tony chuckled mirthlessly.

Steve racked his brains for his most recent memory, but all he could remember was Tony snapping his fingers and dying before his eyes only a few minutes later.

“Convenient. Especially since you failed to save me,” Tony’s eyes suddenly grew cold and before Steve had a chance to react, Tony swung his fist violently into Steve’s face.

“Ungh!” Steve grunts, staggering back, clutching his now heavily bleeding nose. “Wha—” Steve was cut off by another violent blow to his stomach.

“You ruined my life, you son of a bitch! You took away my chance at life with Morgan and Pepper you selfish bastard,” Tony hissed, his lips curling in disgust, a repulsor gauntlet suddenly on his good hand. The familiar whine of the repulsor alerted Steve, but he was too slow to escape the full energy repulsor blast aimed at his stomach.

The pain was like nothing Steve had ever felt before, and he screamed as his stomach burned and white-hot agony engulfed him. What on Earth was Tony doing?

“Stop! This isn’t you!” Steve choked out, clutching his stomach as he knelt on the ground, gasping.

“Why didn’t you snap the gauntlet? Why did you let a man with an actual life do it?” Tony snarled, ignoring Steve’s words. “You deserve to suffer too, and now I’m letting you have your turn.”

Steve could barely hear the man, the pain in his stomach was so intense.

“And now here’s your chance. Snap the gauntlet. Like you were supposed to do, the first time,” Tony knelt down next to Steve, his face still twisted in a sick sneer. He held out the gauntlet Steve had last seen Tony wield, the six infinity stones glowing brightly.

“Tony,” Steve tried again, his voice weak. “This can’t be you.”

“Oh, but it is, Steve. And now you’re going to pay,” Tony growled as he forced Steve’s right hand into the gauntlet.

“N-no!” Steve tried to pull away, but this Tony was too strong, and Steve was no match in his weakened state. No, Tony would never seek such vengeance against Steve. _Because the real Tony loves you,_ his brain screamed at him, and Steve chose to focus on that.

_Tony loves me. Tony loves me. Tony loves me. And this is not, cannot, be real,_ Steve chanted in his head as he continued to struggle against the stranger who masqueraded as Tony. But the struggle was futile as he felt the heavy weight of the gauntlet slip over his arm.

If Steve had thought the pain accompanying the repulsor blast was painful, then this was worse by a million times. Steve screamed as the energy from the gauntlet spread over his arm, ripping him apart, tearing into him, burning him.

He couldn’t hear anything above his own screams and then, as suddenly as the pain had started, it vanished.

“Shhh, shhhh, it’s gonna be okay,” a calm voice echoed through the darkness Steve found himself in. Tony, no, the person pretending to be Tony was gone, and Steve could see nothing. All he knew was that the gauntlet was gone, and this new voice sounded comforting and familiar.

“I’ve got you, don’t worry, you’re safe,” the voice repeated, and Steve felt a drowsy feeling come over him. He dimly wondered why he no longer felt in pain, but he was too tired to puzzle over it. He gratefully succumbed to the pull of sleep, the soothing voice slowly becoming softer and softer.

**********

_ Beep. Beep. Beep._

Steve woke to the steady beep of a heart monitor. He opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the bright light. After blinking a few times, he realized he was in a hospital room. No IVs or oxygen masks were attached to him, but he felt an intense sense of fatigue wash over him.

He moved his hand to disconnect the electrodes monitoring his heart rate, and that was when he saw the other occupant of the room.

Tony Stark sat slumped in a plastic chair on the left side of his bed, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He was dressed in the flight suit he usually wore under the Iron Man suit, and he looked exhausted.

Steve watched him for a few seconds, warmth filling his heart. Tony was safe; he was okay. This was the Tony he loved.

_Not quite,_ his brain reminded him, but Steve dismissed the thought quickly. This Tony had taken Steve in without a second thought, had done his best to make Steve feel at home, had not shied away at the thought of Steve loving him and him potentially loving Steve. That was love in and of itself.

“Urgh,” Tony grunted, stirring in his chair. He stretched for a second, groaning and then opened his eyes. His brown eyes met Steve’s blue ones, and next thing Steve knew, he was getting a crushing hug.

“Fuck! You’re awake!” Tony gasped, leaning out of the hug a second later, his eyes wide. “Jesus, Steve, you’ve been out for like two days. I was fucking worried.”

“That long?” Steve croaked out, his voice hoarse.

“Shit, you need water,” Tony quickly handed him a glass from beside his bed. “And yeah, whatever that sorceress hit you with, it was way stronger than anything else she had thrown out at people.”

“Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, everyone who got hit has recovered and there were no major injuries. Thor returned the flower to Asgard yesterday, and the sorceress is in SHIELD’s hands now.”

Steve nodded, processing the information. “How’d you get me out?” He looked over at Tony, who sat hunched over next to his bed.

“Out? Out of the hallucination or whatever it was you were in?” Tony asked, frowning slightly.

“Yeah.”

“You can thank Thor for that, actually. You weren’t waking up, and we were running out of options, so he decided that he would try shooting a mild dose of lightning through you,” Tony ran a hand through his already messy hair. “The rest of us were really against the idea, but he insisted it may be the only way, so we let him do it, and then you stopped.”

“Stopped?”

“Yeah, you were screaming and shaking. Once he hit you with the lightning, you seemed to settle down,” Tony let out a long sigh before continuing, “We were scared you were going to die on us. The medics couldn’t figure out what to do, and you were starting to go into cardiac arrest. If Thor hadn’t—“ Tony stopped with a pained sound.

He took in a deep breath again before looking straight at Steve. “We could’ve lost you.” Tony finished in a shaky voice.

Steve lowered his head, unable to look at Tony. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” he began, but the feel of Tony’s hand in his stopped him.

“Don’t you dare apologize. Yes, we were worried. Yes, you shouldn’t have just tried to put yourself in danger like that. And yes, I should’ve not let you carry out your ridiculous plan, but what matters is that you’re still here.” Tony told him, his grip tightening on Steve’s hand.

“I know that I’ve only known you for a short time, but I really want to get to know you better. I want to give this relationship a shot, and the thought of losing you was terrible. I’m a futurist, and fuck, as corny as it sounds, I think my future is meant to be entwined with yours.”

Steve sat, speechless. Of all the things he expected Tony to say, this was more than he could’ve ever hoped for. “You mean it?” Steve asked, his heart thrumming wildly in his chest.

“Of course,” Tony answered. “It’s not every day Captain America materializes in your workshop and declared his undying love for you.” Tony joked, lightening the mood.

“It didn’t quite happen that way,” Steve protested, feeling a familiar flush across his face.

“Uh-huh, so you say. Yet you’re blushing,” Tony retorted.“But as I was saying, yeah, I’m more than willing to see where this goes.”

“You are?” Steve mumbled, his brain still trying to wrap around the fact that yes, he did actually have a second chance. A second chance to get to know this Tony in front of him, to fall in love with him, and to, hopefully, have him love him back.

“I say it, I mean it,” Tony reminded him, a warm grin spreading across his features.

Steve found himself grinning back, and his eyes began to fill with tears.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’re you crying for? Did I say something wrong? Damn, did I mess this up, I—“

“No, Tony,” Steve assured him, wiping at his watery eyes. “You did everything right.”

“Then why’re you crying?”

“Because you’re just, you’re just,” Steve stumbled over his words, his emotions getting the better of him. “You’re an amazing man, Tony Stark.”

Tony tilted his head up at Steve, his grin returning. “Thank you,” he said softly, his thumb rubbing over Steve’s knuckles gently.

“And I’m beyond grateful that I have the chance to know you. Anywhere and everywhere you are, you’re a hero, and I can’t imagine a world without a Tony Stark,” Steve told him, smiling gently at him.

“If you wanted to win over my heart, I think you did that with your smile alone,” Tony whispered, his breath hitching as Steve leaned forward.

The kiss was gentle, sweet, and better than Steve had ever imagined it could be. He melted into the kiss, his one arm curling around Tony as Tony wrapped his arms gently around Steve’s neck.

The kiss seemed all too short, and Steve regretted the loss of contact, missing the way Tony’s lips tasted like a delicate mixture of coffee and mint.

“You should rest,” Tony whispered, his voice slightly breathless.

“Will you stay?” Steve asked, his hand once more teaching for Tony’s.

“I will be right here when you wake up,” Tony assured him. “I promise.”

Steve sank back into the pillows, his hand feeling warm in Tony’s. “Thank you, Tony,” Steve breathed and closed his eyes, fatigue sweeping over him once more.

“Craziest week of my life,” Tony murmured, his voice barely audible. “But everyone deserves a second chance at life.”

_That, they do._ Steve thought as he drifted off. _And I’ve found mine right here._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! :)


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